ROGER FEDERER AND Andy Murray set-up a mouthwatering clash for a spot in the championship match as they both advanced to the final four in straight sets.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic also eased through, but Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka was unable to complete a clean-sweep of the semi-finals by the top four when he was knocked out by French 21st seed Richard Gasquet in a five-set thriller.
Top seed and world number one Djokovic, also the champion in 2011, made the semi-finals for a sixth successive year and seventh time in total by demolishing ninth seed and US Open winner Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The an eight-time Grand Slam champion, hit 27 winners and committed just 12 unforced errors without allowing a break point to Cilic.
Second seeded Federer shrugged off two rain delays as well as being broken for the first time at the tournament to complete victory with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 over Giles Simon in just 94 minutes.
Murray, the third seed, cruised into his sixth All England Club semi-final with an equally comfortable 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 win against unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
Federer holds a narrow 12-11 lead over Murray and has won their last three clashes. He defeated the British third seed in the 2012 Wimbledon final — their only meeting at the tournament — before Murray gained revenge just weeks later in the Olympic Games final.
“We both like to look back on that summer of 2012. If we knew I would win Wimbledon and him Olympics, I think we both would have taken it. It was a great summer for us,” Federer said.
Murray, 28, claimed his 150th Grand Slam match victory to make his 17th Grand Slam semi-final appearance, and his sixth at the All England Club.
“I’ve played Roger many times. I know him well and we get on well, but obviously on Friday it will be a different story,” Murray said as he extended his winning streak on grass to 10 matches.
“We’ve played some good matches here and hopefully this will be a great one.”
Gasquet stunned fourth seed Wawrinka 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 to reach his second Wimbledon semi-final, eight years after his first.
Gasquet had a chance to wrap up the quarter-final in the ninth game of the decider when he was just two points from victory. But despite Wawrinka clawing his way back, the 29-year-old claimed victory on a third match point when, for once, the Swiss star’s fabled one-handed backhand let him down.
On tackling Djokovic, Gasquet said: “It will be tough but I’m happy with how I’ve played today and I’ll try to play my best again against the best player in the world.”
